Masks and Mirrors
by eisenheimer
Summary: The city of Arendelle, jewel of the north and a key hub of commerce and science. It retains much of its ancient magic and mystery. Protecting the city is the secretive Snow Queen, an ice-wielding vigilante that strikes fear into the hearts of the city's criminals. But everything changes when new heroes and villains enter the stage. [Modern Superhero AU]
1. Chapter 1

Morning light shafted between the mountainous peaks that surrounded Arendelle, striking towers of steel and glass that reached for the sky. The coastal city was a peculiar place. Nested in the craggy north of Europe, it would have been nothing more than a small fishing town had it not been for the abundance of resources surrounding it. Drawing deeply from nature, the once minute city-state was now a key hub of activity in trade, production and research alike. A glittering jewel in dark and mysterious lands that still retained much of its primal allure.

Far above the waking streets, hidden behind a pane of mirrored glass that reduced the rising sun to nothing more than a pale dot, lay the private office of FrostByte Dynamics' CEO. The strong, refreshing aroma of premium black coffee permeated the room. Elsa breathed deep of the wonderful smell, letting its energy fill her. She never drank coffee if she could help it - tea was infinitely better. The bitter, black liquid left an aftertaste she simply couldn't come to terms with, no matter the amount of milk and sugar poured into it. But the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee was another thing altogether. The apparent wastefulness of this setup was far from the truth; her assistants and managers were more than welcome to sample the quality brew. A benefit they often made use of.

Elsa tapped at the tilted glass panel before her, eliciting an affirming beep from her computer. She scanned through fresh reports as they flashed by. Among the myriad of documents, few were worthy of her full attention. Anything financial had already passed through both her legion of accountants and Kai, reducing her work to mostly signatures. If they hadn't found anything wrong, the problem usually didn't exist. Project reports and requests from across the vast company comprised the bulk of her work.

Then there were the _other_ reports over encrypted channels that now and then jingled her phone. For now, it remained quiet.

_30 under 30._

Thus read a plaque on the office wall engraved with sharp letters. A reminder of who she was to the world; one of the youngest CEO's and spearhead of one of the biggest tech conglomerates in the world. A massive responsibility. Something that Elsa had been groomed for since birth.

Iron discipline held her well into the afternoon, with just a short break for lunch. Her routines had her pouring tea when her desk chimed in notification. An aged woman's voice spoke across the intercom. "Ma'am, Kai is here to see you."

Elsa picked an armchair to rest in. "Send him in, Gerda."

On the far end of the vast room, Kai entered through opaque glass doors. "Good afternoon, Ma'am. How have you been?" he asked, ever polite. The slightly rotund man had served her father for gods know how long.

"I'm fine, thank you," replied Elsa, tucking back a stray strand of chestnut hair. "Just the usual morning lineup."

Kai nodded at the comment and proffered a slight tablet. "Only two points of interest today, Ma'am." Elsa took the device, flicking through text and diagrams as he continued. "The Blackstone project has hit a snag. The details are in the report, but the long and short of it is that we lost one of the hardware deliveries and our main supplier is demanding out of contract payments for the replacements. I already have our legal team on it but–"

"I'll talk to them myself," Elsa replied flatly, still focused on the screen in her hands. "I doubt they'll persevere." There was a trace of calculating belligerence in her voice. She wasn't a cold-hearted person per say, but the years of tutoring and training at her father's behest had left its mark when it came to business.

Kai cleared his throat. "The second point, Ma'am… I just received word that Anna came in on a flight this morning."

Elsa's thumb stopped mid-stroke. "… The Greenoaks investment director?" she tried, fearing the worst.

"Your sister, Ma'am."

_My sister._ She let out a slow breath, partly to calm herself, partly in relief that she didn't swear at the development. "Did she…"

"Nothing yet, Ma'am." A pause. Silence. Then Kai spoke again. "Shall I let you know as soon as something new pops up?" Seeing Elsa's nod, he left. When the door shut behind him, Elsa sank into the folds of the armchair, abandoning her air of control. She rolled her head over the back and closed her eyes.

She couldn't recall how long it had been since she spoke to Anna, more than just a few words of greeting at least. A decade, perhaps more. Come any financial crisis or internal dispute, hell and high water. She could deal with that. She knew how to deal with that. But dealing with Anna? If Elsa had even a smidge of luck on her side, she hoped that that smidge would go towards not having to at all.

* * *

Night reigned, but not darkness despite the late autumn. Arendelle's core glowed a bright orange. On the topmost edge of a skyscraper overlooking the city's central plaza stood the Snow Queen. The wind howled, threatening but failing at ruffling her platinum mane frozen in place. She gazed over her city, silently hoping for some fools heist a bank or rob a goldsmith. Anything really.

_A foul thought, wishing for the misfortune of others_.

She couldn't help it. She needed to let loose and her report system had stayed disappointingly quiet.

The queen sat down on the ledge. She didn't know how those heroes across the Atlantic did it, posing dramatically all the time. It made you feel larger than life, sure, but it was surprisingly tiring to keep up. Ruffling through a small bag, she produced a bar of chocolate to keep her company. Silver and gold wrappings parted, revealing dark deliciousness beneath. She let an edge touch her lips, hinting at what was to come, savoring the calm before the sugary storm. Then her arm beeped.

She listened, hand hovering with chocolate as a burst of static and digital noises marked protocols adjusting for signal clarity followed by a report. "Three suspects fleeing in Grey Land Rover, plate number david-bertil-two-four-eight-two. Armed and dangerous. Currently two patrols in pursuit on the King's Road passing 77th, requesting backup."

For a moment, the treat still lay on her lips. With a sigh, the wrappings returned and the bar was dropped unto the ceiling plates. "Don't think this is over," she said quietly to the chocolate.

The queen shot up. She placed her hand across her face. With a cracking sound ice spread across her features, covering them in a snowflake mask. Frost crept down from her neck, past her shoulders and down all the way to her hips, adding a layer of glittering arctic armor over her black, reinforced bodysuit. Another pose was struck, not intentional this time.

She leapt into the sky and ice shot out from the edge of the building to form a ramp beneath her, spikes of white giving stability. With an experienced surf, she shot down towards the streets. Her speed picked up, making her a black and white blur against the city backdrop. Every now and then, a slashing motion from her hand formed another segment of ice to guide her over and between buildings.

Down the street, nearly at the end of the stretch she saw her target, weaving between cars. _The intersection is the safest spot._ Cold gathered in her hands and the ice beneath her sent her upwards into the sky again. With a one-two punch, blasts of ice turned the street beneath the grey rover slick, making it spin out of control into a large mound of conjured, compact snow.

The Queen made a flip and landed on the edge of a building, smirking.

The car doors crashed open, spilling out three masked scoundrels. One of them, quick on the uptake, turned towards her. "There! Get her!" he yelled, releasing a burst from his compact weapon.

They struck hard ice that quickly fractured and fell to the streets below as powder, giving way to a volley of icy bolts that exploded into icy fetters that encased the man and his companion. She scanned the scene for the last criminal, catching a blur disappearing into a sideway street.

The Queen slashed the air again and skated down to street level. "You two stay put," she said to the crooks in passing, ignoring their profanities. A few more segments of ice sent her into the alley. It stretched before her, muted and dim compared to the noisy King's Street she left behind.

Steps echoed as a shape darted around another corner. The Queen dashed after it, powers ready to strike.

The man lay in a heap on the ground, out cold. She approached cautiously, hands held high in a guard with ice at the tips, ready for a trap or his unseen assailant.

"Chill out. He's done for the day," called a chipper voice from above.

The Queen spun around.

Leaning out over a fire escape platform stood a masked woman. Another vigilante clad in a red-trimmed suit. There were metallic hints at her wrists, but the backlight made it hard to make out any details.

Frowning, the Queen spoke, still guarding. "Who are you?"

"Arendelle's newest superhero, at your service!"

"I haven't seen you before."

"That's because I'm new, silly." The young woman nodded towards the man on the ground. "You can keep him. Call it a moving-in gift or something." She drew herself up and grinned at the Queen. "Stay cool." A pulse of light flowed across her suit as the leapt off with startling strength, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Behind, the platform groaned at the sudden strain.

The Queen stared after her and let out a sigh.

A new vigilante.

A new, _pun-slinging_ vigilante.

She sighed again and went to take care of the decked criminal.

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	2. Chapter 2

Anna impacted into the worn, metal rooftop plating of a high-rise, buckling it with a hollow bang. Flakes of paint flying off as she dislodged her knee from the crater. She rose amidst rippling air, the suit struggling to vent surplus heat. Her chest heaved under heavy breaths as she turned to gaze back at the cityscape she so easily traversed, eyes wide in disbelief.

_Three blocks in two jumps. Holy hell._

She laughed. With the rush overtaking her, she pumped her fist into the air. "Oh! Yes! That was _awesome!_" Ten minutes in the suit and she had already become a superhero. A full-fledged superhero that caught crooks and saved old ladies. Arguably, she'd only done one of those things, but fifty percent's a passing grade.

A couple of jittery steps and giggles brought her to the brow of the slanting roof. A fair distance away, the Arendelle Ice Spire glittered against the night sky. Tallest building in the north.

Way back when she was still a little kid, her parents had brought her to the Eiffel Tower. She'd stubbornly insisted on climbing to the top via the staircase from the middle platform instead of taking the elevator with the others. Not even halfway up, her little legs had given up and her father was forced to carry her the rest of the way.

A grin spread across Anna's face.

Red lights pulsed along the edges of the suit. The low hum from the thermal dumps quickly transitioned into high-pitched whistle before going ultrasonic. Anna flexed, and the world around her exploded into a blur of light and whistling wind. The only thing that remained the same was the shining white spire fixed in her sight. She crashed into something crunchy for a short moment before she once again flew through the air.

Her memory of those times were hazy. Just a few bits and pieces floated around in a jumbled static. The most important pieces, probably. Up at the top of the tower, she remember the sprawling capital. A sea of white and pink in the light of a setting sun, crisscrossed by swathes of warm lights that marked the boulevards and black rooftops peppered with white window dots, stretching into the horizon. She remembered feeling like the queen of the world. And giggling too, but not sure how it fit with the picture.

The jump brought her to a rooftop a few streets from the Spire. Pausing for only a moment, she huffed, then let loose. Another flash of red and splintering tiling followed.

Anna roared at the sky.

The edge between building and night, flanked by blinking red dots, was fast approaching. Though not fast enough. Anna reached the apex of her arc just a little more than an arm's length from the ledge. If she could just reach a little further.

Just a little more…

_Oh shi–_

She slammed into the glass, causing it to wobble. Fingers scrambled for a hold against the featureless surface as she began to slide. Anna turned her back against the Spire, desperate for a way to stop her mad descent. The small protrusion came as a complete surprise and sent her into a rolling tumble.

Anna screamed. Amidst the spinning chaos, she managed to catch a glance at the ledge that visited her field of vision, each time closer than before, each time more dangerous. A jungle of sharp corners and ventilation blades awaited, and she wouldn't be long. Adrenaline and survival instincts triumphed over fear for a moment as she clutched her head as hard and braced for impact.

Something poked at her side and back. Anna could hear the crumpling sound of sheet metal as it scraped along the length of her while she smashed through it all and landed in a tangle of limbs against the parapet.

She heard a click, followed by blast of air and the return of the low hum from the suit. Flopping an arm away from her face, she turned to take in the utter destruction she had wreaked on the poor, defenseless ventilation points. Anna let out a long breath, turned back towards the night sky and said weakly, to no one in particular, "Well… Almost."

No-one-in-particular huffed. "If by 'almost' you mean 'almost completely destroying my suit', then you're spot-on."

Anna jerked up, straining her neck to get a good look around from her supine position. "Who– who's there?"

"You got some nerve, forgetting me like that," the voice said with a snort.

"… Kristoff?" Anna propped herself up on her elbows. "Where are you?"

"I'm in a coffee shop about a block away from the college," came the smug reply. "And that's doctor Bjorgman to you."

"Wait, what?"

He sighed. "I'm patching into the comm-unit in the suit. Now, how about you explain to me why my sensors are all flashing 'system-wide damage' and 'thermal levels critical'?"

Anna slumped a bit, and said, "Oh. Ah– I– I kind of fell off the top of the Ice Spire."

She could hear a sputtering on the other side of the comms. "You WHAT? Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. But it's a long story," Anna said meekly. "It all began with–"

Kristoff coughed hard and interrupted, "Spare me, please. Just– just come by the college tomorrow, okay? And bring the suit." A short burst of static followed, ending with a beep.

Anna waited for a moment. "Kristoff? Kristoff!" she called out. No answer.

Laying down slowly, she mumbled, "Oh boy…" and stretched out. Her hand brushed against something small, making a distinct rustling noise. Feeling around, she found a flat and neatly wrapped object.

A bar of chocolate. _Nice._

* * *

The office was small. The towers of papers and books made it smaller still.

Anna sat as neatly as she could in a small chair, shifting slightly in her tight, jet-black suit. Without the added parts there were just a handful of red trims decorating it, accenting curves and marking sockets. With each movement, light from a small window danced against the matte, textured surface.

Kristoff sat facing her in a swivel chair, hunched over with his head in his hands. He rubbed his temples with slow, deliberate motions. "Miss Aren," he began.

"You can call me Anna."

He glared at her, still hunched, and then looked back at his knees. "_Anna_," he said with a sigh, "when I told you to bring the suit… I didn't mean for you to stroll across campus in it!"

"Oh come on! Nobody knows it's a–" Anna stopped just short of the word. Lowering her voice, she finished, "… nobody knows it's a super-suit." Then, with confidence and a hint of pride, she said, "Besides, if anyone looked, I'm sure it was because they admired just how good I looked in this _biker gear_."

It was true that without the armor and motivator units, the suit was just a fancy sport label short of being the spitting image of some high-end protective motorbike outfit. Albeit with some odd connector ports dotting the surface.

Glancing up, Kristoff said, "It's not a 'super-suit'. It's a flexible, powered dermal– you know what? Nevermind." He stretched out a hand. "You were supposed to bring it back from the conference and now you have. Please, give it back."

Anna bit her lip. An unexpected set of circumstances had bumped her up from conference volunteer to demonstration assistant a week back at the CNGTDC. The man in front of her was the grumpiest and smartest engineer she'd ever met. Technically, she'd only met one real engineer so far, but it didn't make it any less brilliant or less of a social outcast. During the few first days, they'd bonded a little over their home in the north.

His show and tell of the suit didn't go well. Demonstrating in front of a small, select audience of industry top dogs or military whatevers, his idea had been shot down before even getting to the good parts. She didn't understand the jargon they were throwing around, but she couldn't help noticing how hard it hit Kristoff.

Then he'd gotten that call and rushed back to Arendelle, telling her to bring the prototype back to him when she could. Anna was totally going to, except she didn't expect liking the suit so much.

"What's going to happen to it?" she asked.

Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck, and replied, "I don't know. I'll probably scrap it and salvage what I can. They were right at the conference, it a piece of j–"

"Noooooo!" Anna wailed, hugging the suit. "Why would do that? The suit is great! Please don't destroy it!" She looked at him pleadingly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Look, it worked just as it should last night. I– I decked that guy with a single punch and I could jump over whole blocks at a time!" Leaning forward, she continued. "I almost made it to the top of the Spire in a single leap, you know?"

Kristoff's hand stopped rubbing and she caught that gleam in his eye. The same gleam she'd seen when they talked about the suit back before the demo. He opened his mouth as to speak, but closed it again. A frown spread across his features. "Wait. You punched someone?"

Anna drew herself up, proud. "Yeah!"

"With the suit on?" he asked, eyes widening. "You could have killed him!"

Anna signed exasperatedly. "What? No! I– I mean I had the suit on, but it wasn't ON when I punched him. I'm not stupid."

"No, you just assaulted someone."

It was Anna's turn to frown. "Come on. He was a bad guy! He even had another superhero after him!"

Kristoff sat back, face in hands again. "Another? Anna, you're not a superhero."

"I could be," she said in a small voice. "And you could work out those kinks in the suit and–"

"Punching people doesn't make you a hero," he cut in. "It just makes you another thug. A hero– it's more than– When you're a hero, it's not about yourself."

Anna looked at him, confused. "Since when did you know so much about heroes?"

"Where are the other parts of the suit?" he asked firmly, ignoring her question.

"… They're in my bike panniers," she said, rising from her seat. "Kristoff, I know it sounds stupid, but I really think I can do this. I can do good with this." Anna placed a hand on her belly. "I can feel it right here."

Kristoff's shoulders sank a bit when he spoke. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's… not everyone can be a hero when it comes down to it."

Anna fixed him with a look. "Do you trust me?"

"I– I guess?"

"Then give me a chance. Please."

Kristoff sighed and smiled. "I'll have to think about it."

"I'm taking that as a 'yes'," Anna teased, beaming. She turned to leave. "Stay here! I'll go get the other parts."

"No. Wait," he interrupted. "Hold on to them for a little while. I have some work to do and a meeting to catch later. I'll give you a call when I have the time, alright?"

"Alright," she smiled.

* * *

Anna practically skipped across the King's College campus. "A superhero," she giggled to herself. "I have to think of a name!" Her mind boggled at the prospects and potentials of hero work. It was going to cut into her studies, but it was _hero work_!

Her red motorcycle waited on the other side of the street. _A name… A name. I wonder what that other one was called?_

She didn't see the wall of metal, only catching the sounding of its horn.

Everything went black.

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	3. Chapter 3

Kristoff tapped the steering wheel with a finger as he lazily stared ahead. Of all the answers he could have given to that girl, he just had to give the stupidest one. He practically agreed to the whole superhero deal she'd forced on him. No, he couldn't let it play out this way. Dumb luck was probably the only thing that had kept people from getting hurt when she screwed around in his suit, not counting the 'bad guy' she so merrily assaulted.

It was a mess, all of it. He could only hope that she wasn't caught on camera or that his work had been recognized by someone. Naturally, the blame was his all along for even letting her snake her way into the suit when he should have just used his demo reel.

The old castle was sweeping by when his phone, affixed to the windshield, made a sound.

"What's going on?" Kristoff asked, still focused on the road.

The voice that came back was goofy and soft. "You got a message. It says your meeting is cancelled."

Kristoff clicked his tongue and mumbled "Great," as he pulled a sharp turn towards the science park. Dealing with fickle co-workers was a pain. He sighed heavily. To make matters worse, for the first time he could remember, he had hit a block at making sense of the errors his suit was throwing at him. For the surface damage he knew whom to blame, but overheating? Weeks he'd stayed cooped up in his workshop ironing out those kinks. Not that his toil prevented his peers any from shooting him down in Corona.

_Bunch 'o jerks._

"The core idea was sound, but…" he repeated mockingly as he threw a glance at the deflated CNGTDC gift bag in the passenger seat among the myriad of papers and spent cups. Of course the concept was sound. He'd been working with the stuff since he was five years old. There wasn't any doubt in Kristoff's mind that his creation worked. It just didn't work well enough. Yet.

Another turn down around a roundabout and Kristoff found himself in the cool underground garage connected to the FrostByte complex. He tapped his cell, eliciting a small affirming beep, and spoke. "Remind me to go through those logs tonight, will 'ya?"

The patterns on the screen pulsed as it replied. "Do you want to add that to the calendar?"

Kristoff let out a chuckle. "No. Just add it to the list, buddy," he said, sweeping the phone from its resting place and sending the car into storage. The small device still occupied his attention when the elevator stopped at the much too noisy and populated lobby.

He'd been part of FrostByte for some time now. First as an engineering consultant when still a student. But gradually he got roped into Blackstone. There simply wasn't anyone else that knew what they were doing when it came to meta-based engineering. Normally, he'd look down on his predecessors, but even as division lead he still didn't have access to anything outside of his slice of the project.

Kristoff still felt out of place among frosted glass panels and decorative spotlights. The complex seemed more like a movie set rather than a research and management office. Even the employees looked snazzy with their neatly cut suits and badges, passing sleek tablets and sipping from branded cups. _What were they even doing here? _He didn't know. He didn't care to find out either.

Kristoff tugged awkwardly at his sweater and lumbered on.

Kai caught him fumbling with his badge and cell at the security checkpoint. "Mister Bjorgman! Good day!" he called with a faint smile and a nod.

"Hello, Kai," Kristoff replied. Among all co-workers, Kai was the only one that that Kristoff held a healthy level of respect for. Which made it that much more difficult to keep hiding that he was using company hardware to build his suit. One day, he'd come clean. He just had to figure out a good way to do it. "How– Uh– How are you?"

The pudgy man swiped past and turned to face Kristoff. "I am fine, thank you. Did you read the memo I sent out?" he asked.

"Uh –" Kristoff began, stopping to flick through menus for an answer. "I think so, yes." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "S– Should we really talk about–"

"Don't fret about that." Kai said to him, waiting for the large man to pass though before continuing. "Not when there are other things for you to worry about."

Kristoff blinked in confusion.

"I'm giving you fair warning, young man," Kai explained. "There might be a tour later to show off the importance of our… of your work."

"Great," Kristoff groaned, then looked at Kai, who had raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh– No, I didn't mean it like that. I– I mean– Thanks for–"

He got a pat on the arm. "Don't worry about it, mister Bjorgman. I know what you meant. Maybe I can get the guide to take another route."

Kristoff relaxed at the last comment. His shoulders slumped a fraction and he said "Thank you. I'll be in the lab." He took a few steps, then turned. "About the memo. I skimmed it, so… What I'm trying to say is, if the deal falls through the project is gonna be dead in the water. Not just my part either."

Kai held up a hand. "I told you not to worry. Miss Aren is attending to the matters personally."

No reply came from Kristoff. He merely nodded and retreated to his workshop. Of the 'Miss Aren's in his life, he'd met one but not the other. All he knew about the elder was from rumor and a few dry interviews she'd agreed to on rare occasions. Even the internal company profile sported little more than a title and a summary of her role. It didn't matter that much to Kristoff in the end though. He got what he needed and the privacy he desired, and that was good enough.

Brushing aside papers and stray tools, he sat down squarely before one of the terminals in the room. Had it not been for the company servers being a mess of red tape and poor optimization, he'd never have to break the rules by sending project data off-site. But they were, and he wasn't even allowed to fix the problem. Kristoff pursed his lips and swatted away a few warning windows as he started the first encrypted transfer.

The collage supercluster was a beast in comparison, albeit a dumb one that was forcing him to oversee the transmissions and tasks manually. If the elder Aren was anything like her sister, he couldn't trust her to keep the deal from falling apart. Far from it. With this little transgression though, he'd be ready for whatever new components they'd drag in.

Ready, and left alone to work on his own projects. But for now, Kristoff had to pay his price in time. He closed his eyes and wished for coffee.

The workshop door opened with a hiss, pulling Kristoff from his sleep with a jerk. His eyes struggled to focus on the screen up front. _Four hours._ He'd slept right through the afternoon and wasted a good chunk of his server time. Rubbing the marks left on his cheek by his sweater, he heard voices coming from the doorway.

Kristoff snapped around.

A minute, bespectacled man stood in the hallway's fluorescent glow, guest-badge dangling around his neck. Something unintelligible was exchanged between him and his guide before he approached with what Kristoff could only consider as a sly smile. The man inspected the workshop. "So this is where the magic happens?" he asked, puffing his silver moustache.

"… Yeah," Kristoff answered tentatively as he swiveled his chair to face his guest. "And you are?"

"Duke Wesel," he flourished. "Of WeselCo International. I just _had_ to see the sum of my parts. Always interesting to get a look at–"

Another admin then. Some high-roller wanting to look good in the eyes of the employees or something like that. He didn't have the time, or patience for that matter, for dealing with this. "Hey, look. Mister Wesel–" Kristoff began.

The smile returned in a flash. "Call me Duke."

Kristoff glanced at the guide, who shrugged in resignation, then back at the man before him. He cleared his throat. "Right. Duke. We don't do production down here, we do uh… well. Other stuff."

"As I said, always interested!" Duke insisted as he leaned to his side to get a look around Kristoff. With the monitor glow catching in his eyes, he said, "Doing some number crunching and compiling, are we? I'll have you know that in my youth I was quite the…"

Kristoff swiveled again. His screen flashed a data log, requesting a new prompt for the college server to follow '_blackstone simMat v1_ '_.

He quickly tabbed to another window. One lawsuit-level offence was enough for the day. "Sorry. That's– Ah– Private," Kristoff blurted over his back. A small indicator light caught his attention. His cell was blinking red.

The message that popped up on the phone was bordered by the same dire color. 'Critical system-wide damage', the suit reporter had pushed. Kristoff's face contorted into a deep frown as he swept for details. The GPS locked onto the city hospital.

He turned to face Duke, who was still babbling. "Something's come up. I– I have to take this," Kristoff said to the man.

Duke blinked, then grinned. "Oh, alright then. Thank you, mister Bjorgman. This has been very enlightening."

* * *

Elsa leaned into her hands, folded in front of her face. Her eyes were fixed on the screen as it looped the same security footage from inside the truck over and over again. The transport was making good speed if the blurring scenery was any indication.

Then the compartment shook slightly, making the driver look up. An instant later, a man crashed through the passenger-side window. A swift kick later the driver got thrown out and another man, slightly bigger, entered from the drivers-side. Their faces were blobs of brilliant light. One turned towards the camera and the footage ended in static.

_Flash-masks. They were professionals._

As CEO, there was little she could do except to wait for the police report, hoping for the best. Elsa tapped a symbol on the obsidian surface that was her desk. "Gerda?" she asked.

"Yes, miss Aren?"

"Clear the rest of the day for me and divert the calls. I'm going out."

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	4. Chapter 4

From the first moment power awakened within Elsa, perhaps even before then, cold had never been an issue for her. It was a part of who she was, providing a strange comfort through familiarity. Dampness however, was another matter. It didn't feel right, the way it could cling to her body. With the fog rolling in over Arendelle, bringing with them an intrusive wetness, Elsa pulled her coat closer. If she wanted, she could transform the entire bank to diamond dust with a wave of her hand, maybe less, and she wanted to.

_No._ She pushed away the tempting notion with a shake of her head and pressed on towards the water line. Elsa knew deep down that a single step over the lines she'd drawn could very well be the push that sent her down the proverbial slippery slope. She didn't have to imagine what waited at the bottom of it. It was something she was already familiar with, and it was a place she did not want to revisit.

Her walk brought her to a flight of stairs running down a set of cliffs and into the harbor. From the top, nighttime Arendelle was visible as a bundle of golden, nebulous lights. The city was beautiful – deceptively so. There was plenty of darkness in the world and just as many that exploit it. Her city was no exception. From when she first donned her mask, crime had slowly been on the rise. Her own achievements seemed to only chip the surface. Sometimes, such as now, she wondered if her actions had caused more harm than good or if her vigilantism simply made her more aware of what lurked in the shadows.

The city harbor was one of those places were those very shadows lay thick. Unlike the petty gangs that tagged walls and vandalized bus stops in the city outskirts, the scum that stayed by the water was fouler yet. Cracking down on weapon dealing or drug smuggling were easy tasks, but she preferred supporting the police in their arrests. It made for easy paperwork. Or well, the vigilante version of it anyway.

Fighting the subtle corruption was trickier. A cluttered assortment of clauses, legal loopholes and back-alley deals that shifted power from the weak to the strong, from the poor to the rich. It was all there, right up in her face, and there was little to nothing the Snow Queen could do about it. Perhaps there was a need for a new brand of superhero. _The Accountant_.

She stifled a laugh and adjusted her duffle bag.

The night was still young, and the streets crowded. Closing in on her destination, Elsa ducked into a sideway street. Her coat disappeared into the bag, revealing a snug, charcoal suit beneath. Taking a matte bead from a hidden compartment, she let it rest in the palm of her hand for inspection before pressing a thumb into it. The bead came apart, leaving a sooty residue.

Elsa brought her powdered hand up to her face and let ice grow into a mask. The pigment followed and stained the mask dark blue, bordering on black. Her hair crackled into ice-tinted white. The rest of the suit remain frost-free; tonight was a night for subtlety.

Aside from the small bursts of power that took her between buildings, the Snow Queen traversed the harbor rooftops without any expenditure of ice. She finally stopped on a building overlooking the back alley of a run-down storage facility. A single, shoddy bulb illuminated its emergency exit.

Surfing her powers to the other side, she flung a bolt of ice against the door that exploded into a thick sheet of ice, blocking the passage. Landing gently, the Snow Queen sneaked up to one of the skylights and peered through the grimy glass. Inside the large room sat a chubby man bent over a table covered in tattered bills and scrap, fussing over a counting machine in the sparse light of a desk lamp. The rest of the area was conveniently dim.

She moved down the line of slanting windows until the room below was dark enough and pressed a naked finger against the glass. On the other side, ice carefully pressed the latch aside. The Snow Queen glanced at the man, still engrossed with the whirring instrument, before gently sliding into the room. She didn't make a sound touching the floor.

For a while, she remained crouched in the darkness, going over the scene in her head. People like Corti had to be handled with care. Give too much and they go for the entire hand, push too hard and they snap. And neither of those in a good way. But a little scare and goodwill went a long way. Besides, unlike some of his fellow black market traders, the man knew where to draw the line. She could respect that, in a way, and it kept him in her good graces. Though he had no idea, of course.

She took a deep breath, put on her best scary, no-nonsense face and pulled herself up to her full height. Her heart was pounding and her belly full of butterflies, but she had learned to ignore them. The Snow Queen exhaled slowly, bringing a chill to the room. Frost snaked from her feet across the floor. _Showtime._

Her ice-tipped boots clacked hard against the cement as she made her presence known. Corti's head snapped towards her, straining to make sense of the sounds. She saw him noticing the glittering floor first, then his white breath, making his eyes widen as she finally entered the light.

The Snow Queen grinned. There was a pause. Corti looked at her, down at his desk and up again. He ran.

She watched as he moved away with surprising speed for someone of his size, following with quick, deliberately noisy steps. Her frost sped up after him. As the Snow Queen approached the corridor Corti ran into, she heard the satisfying thud of a man slamming into a door he was sure would open. Rounding the corner, she spoke. "Corti. It's been too long."

He turned and slumped against the door. "Ah, feck."

She'd first come across the chubby man a few years back, when she was hunting a group of jewel thieves. They'd been hitting places all over Arendelle and they were good. The way they pulled their heists made the police force, and herself, look like a bunch of fools. Truth be told, she was a fool back then, completely new to vigilantism. She still felt embarrassment when recalling how easily they'd lost her with some trick driving and a tunnel.

It wasn't until they hit the castle museum that she managed to track them down with the help of a snazzy piece of FrostByte tech planted on the prized _globus cruciger_. The signal emitted from the ornate globe of gold led her right to Corti, and with some arm-twisting, he had led her to the by then defunct trio of thieves.

The Snow Queen advanced down the hallway, a menacing green tint from the exit sign reflecting off her mask and suit. She let the silence do the work for her.

Corti squirmed. "Why you do this, Snow Queen?" he asked, pursing his lips. "I've done nothing wrong."

"Oh?" she said with a tilt of her head. "I distinctly remember seeing a whole table of 'wrong' back there. Maybe I should take another look."

"Those? No no no– it's just a little something I do for a friend. No need to worry. Just a favor, y'know?"

She stepped in closer. "It seemed awfully interesting though."

Corti rubbed his hands for warmth and gave her what he probably thought was puppy dog eyes. "C'mon Snow! Why don't you catch me a break?"

"I don't do favors."

"Ah– a favor for a favor, then," he pleaded, gesturing between them. "Maybe I can do a little something for you, yes?"

The Snow Queen stopped and posed to think, though it was mostly posing for effect. "Funny you should ask," she said to him. "Someone's been selling flash-masks in my city. I want to know who's dealing. Who are they selling to?"

Corti blinked, confused. "What? No. Nobody's selling flash-masks, no."

She growled. "Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not!" the man said, holding his hands up as a shield against her. "I promise! Look… they are new tech, yes? Expensive. If anyone was dealing, I'd know. And I know nobody's dealing."

The Snow Queen let out a slow breath.

Corti pressed on. "You know I'm good for it, Snow. Trust me." He stood silent for a while, watching her. "Why are you asking?"

She didn't like the idea of telling people what she was up to. The less they knew, the better. But she was running out of leads, and Corti had been her best bet. "Two people hijacked a truck right off the highway. They were wearing flash-masks and I want to know who they are. Or who they're working for."

"No witnesses?" Corti asked.

"Just the driver they threw out," she replied.

The man shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"Actually, he lived," the Snow Queen noted. The poor man had hit the asphalt hard. He'd probably spend the next week or two in the bed. She saw Corti smirk. "What?"

"If driver is alive, go ask him. He knows"

"W– What?"

Corti made a motion across his face. "Flash mask spray block surveillance, yes? But to normal eye, you just glitter. Like uh– party girl… or vampire."

The ice around them receded, and Corti, who had been leaning on the emergency exit fell backwards as the door swung open. The Snow Queen strutted past where he lay on his back and into the alley. "A favor for a favor," she said, giving him a passing glance. "I'll let your work slide, this time."

_How did that detail slip my mind?_ Sometimes, she felt every bit the fool she was three years ago.

Corti grinned after her, but she didn't notice. A pillar of ice flung her into the sky and towards the city hospital.

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	5. Chapter 5

The thin layer of frost that had been deposited before dawn slowly melted, forming droplets of pure water hanging off bushels of yellowing leaves. With the sunlight inching over the surrounding cliffs, the sharp morning air was transforming into something gentler. But the chill that lay over the university hospital would linger for a while.

The hospital lay sprawling on the hillside. With the years, it had expanded several times, adding new patient wards, diagnostic divisions and the occasional research wing. All of it distributed between multitudes of buildings ranging from flattened receptions to high-rises held together by walkways and a maze of tunnels. Now, there were even plans to cut into the towering stone faces it had against its back. Surrounded by patches of parkland, the hospital looked almost like a city within the city.

On one of the rooftops gardens, Kristoff leaned against the railing that rose from the parapets, his fingers reaching for the chain-link fence that comprised the second line of safety. In his other hand steamed a cup of vending-machine coffee; cheap and watery, but it worked well enough. Beyond the treetops below, the city proper stretched on. He had left his jacket hanging open to let the cold in and with the closing of his eyes, he filled his lungs against the encroaching drowsiness.

Pulling all-nighters were undoubtedly easier from the stable comfort of an office chair, rather than the gangly things that decorated the hospital rooms. He'd gotten more than one look of disapproval from the staff when he carried one of the hallway-tables into Anna's, but he had needed the surface. Actually keeping his laptop in his lap when it crunched data was akin to asking for a visit to the burn ward, arguably fitting considering the source of the data.

His suit – still struggling with the thought if it being Anna's – was in a terrible state. The majority of the synthetic motivator clusters were either in a state of lockdown or destroyed from their forceful emergency activation. When he finally managed to wrest the suit from the disgruntled ER staff, it was crumpling like the shirt he'd forgotten in his gym locker. But instead of stale sweat, the suit smelled of scorched polymer. Every single thermoelectric circuit had been burned out.

Kristoff plucked at the fence absently as he considered the notion of repairing the damage. With his workshop back home and sneaking in some help from the fabricators at the FrostByte complex, the means were certainly there. The problem lay in the design. Something kept messing with the suit's heat levels. Kristoff couldn't be certain, but he was beginning to form suspicions, crazy as they were.

Though repairing the suit at this point practically meant that he was okay with Anna using it. Maybe he was. Should he be? Yes, there had been an odd merit to her idea of working out the kinks while she used it. But having her in the suit, she would without a doubt try playing hero again. Kristoff sunk his head into his free hand. "Why am I even considering this?" he said out loud with a groan. "This is crazy."

"Nothing wrong with a little crazy every now and then" came the reply from behind.

The comment made him jump and squeeze down on the small paper cup in his hand, causing in the hot beverage to splash over. Jerking back on instinct, Kristoff swore and turned. "Ah f–"

Anna stood by a bench, dressed in a hospital gown and a pair of slippers. It had to be a size to small, or a size wrong sideways. Why else would it fall as it did, or show that much leg? "Mm, sorry," she said, wincing at his reaction. "I didn't... eh… think you'd scare that easy. Huh." She gave a little wave.

Kristoff shook the coffee off him has best he could. "Uh– hi. Anna, what are you doing here? Are you okay?" he asked, already guessing the answer. Unlike the unconscious state in which he found her when he first came to the hospital, a state which had caused him more worry than we was ready to admit, the girl now before him radiated energy as she placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. It pulled the fabric dangerously high.

"Fine as I can be!" she proclaimed happily with bright eyes and a tiny shake of her head. Kristoff couldn't help but grin back.

When she held the pose, he let out a chuckle and relaxed his own. "You look ridiculous," he said to her.

Anna's shoulders slumped a fraction and she asked, "What?" Tracing his gaze back to the top of her head, realization finally came. Her hair stood a tangled mess, hanging like the afterimage from a firework. She took the spot next to Kristoff. "Oh gods–," Anna moaned as she tried to flatten her mane. "I can't believe I've been walking around like this. The nurse could have said something…"

"I'm glad she didn't," Kristoff laughed, "or I would have missed…" He gestured at her head. "… This."

Anna just looked at him and gave another worried whine.

Part of him wanted to keep enjoying her frantic, but strangely cute struggle. The other part wanted to smack him for his comment. "Hey," he said, stopping her brushing with a gentle hand. "Hey. You look fine."

There was a pause, and Anna let her hands slide down to the back of her neck, bringing her hair with it. Her lips curled to a smile. "One of us has to," she teased.

For a while they simply stood, Anna still clutching her hair, him with his arms folded in front of his chest. The pair watching sunlight slowly crawl across Arendelle. Kristoff shifted carefully in the silence, not wanting to disturb the moment. Maybe he should be saying something. _It was what you do in times like this, right?_ But he didn't know what to say.

Kristoff looked at the young woman next to him, searching for a clue or cue to help him along. Her hair caught the sun expertly, making it glow in her hands. And she stood with such confidence… or perhaps regality would be a better term, when she watched the cityscape. A feat, no doubt. Especially considering her flimsy hospital attire that flapped in the chilling wind, granting him small glimpses at the freckled skin beneath–

He caught himself and turned away, hoping that she hadn't noticed. Kristoff dared another glance as Anna broke the silence, still fixed on the city. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For staying. Oh, and for the flowers. They were lovely."

A small bouquet of crocuses. The night before, sometime between learning the whereabouts of the damaged suit and finally returning with his gear from his car, the flowers had appeared in Anna's room. There had been a small card as too. White, with printed black lettering centered on one side. '_Get well soon_' was all it said. Kristoff turned to Anna and said, "They're not from me."

She looked at him quizzically.

"A friend perhaps?" he tried.

Anna let her arms fall and leaned slightly on the railing. "I actually don't know anyone in Arendelle right now, aside form you. It's been a really long time since I was here last. The city's a lot bigger now."

He didn't have a good reply. To Kristoff, Arendelle was Arendelle, always the same. He'd been here forever. Another gust hit them, ruffling hair and clothes violently. Kristoff furrowed his brow. "Aren't you cold?"

She looked down on her clothes and shrugged. "Not really. I guess I'm… just used to it or something."

If Kristoff ever had to play cards against someone, he'd make sure to pick Anna as an opponent. But even if she had had a face of stone, the last breeze that struck them made him shiver. And he was twice her size, wearing proper clothes, not a piece of barely-covering cloth. Between this and the data dump from the suit, there was one possible explanation. An outlandish explanation, to be sure. _…whatever remains, however improbable…_, he thought, not quite having eliminated the impossible yet. Though he was willing to go out on a limb. Rubbing the back of his neck, he spoke. "Anna. You don't have to answer this if you don't want to. I mean– I don't want to be rude, or to pry or…"

"Kristoff," Anna said, tone wary. "What's going on?"

For a brief moment, his body tensed. He swallowed, then asked "… Are you a Meta?"

Her eyes widened and a flush worked its way quickly over her cheeks. She gave a short, nervous laugh. "What? No. Nonono," Anna blurted, working her hands over the guardrails. "No that's crazy– Ahem. What– uh– what makes you say that, exactly?"

Kristoff felt a pang of regret at his question. He recognized that look, those gestures. He knew what they meant and what it felt like, and he didn't mean to do the same to her. The choice between sating his curiosity and losing a friend was a simple one. Pursing his lips, Kristoff waved dismissively and apologized. "Sorry. Forget I even asked. I've been working all night and I… just some of the data from the suit on my mind and jumped to…" He sighed and went for the door. "Forget it, it was stupid. C'mon, let's go inside. You could probably do with some more rest or something."

He lumbered past the benches and bushes, halfway to the exit when he heard her small voice call to him. "Wait." Kristoff turned, and saw that Anna had remained fixed to her spot, fiddling with her hair. She didn't look at him. "When– how did you find out?" she asked.

"Just a lucky guess," he replied. "Mostly."

"… Please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry about it. I won't," Kristoff said. Silence reigned for a while before he wet his lips, and for some reason, let stupidity take over again. "Is this… is having powers the reason you want to be a hero?"

Anna faced the city. "I dunno. Maybe?" She turned her head but a fraction, and said, "I don't think I have a reason. Not like the big ones out there. I just want to be something more than just a girl that spent her life cooped up in a boarding school." Her head sank, dejected. "It's stupid, I know."

Kristoff walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Back at my office, you said you wanted to do good, didn't you?" Anna nodded, and he went on. "I think that's a good enough reason."

She placed her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks. But I guess it's all out of the window now. I saw the suit. Well, I saw what was left of it in my room, and I have to say it didn't–"

"Don't worry about that," Kristoff chuckled and turned her to face him. "I can fix it. Besides, if you're going to be a superhero, I think I'd prefer to see you be a hero _with_ the suit, rather than without it."

Anna gave him a lopsided smile, and though Kristoff still worried, the feeling was slowly being pushed away.

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa adjusted her suit jacket against the mirror, tugging at the bottom with small jerks while she waited for the elevator to complete its descent. The woman staring back at her looked tired. She hoped that those that didn't share her fatigue would fail to notice and those that did would be too spent to care. Drawing her lips to a thin line as she tucked a stray strand of dyed hair, Elsa silently wished that she could simply freeze it in place.

With dozens of floors to go, she fished out her cell and went for another look at her ever-growing list of things to do. At the top, marked by an orange priority triangle, the box reading 'Visit hospital' had returned. Aside from Elsa herself, there was one other person that had full access to her calendar. She doubted however that her secretary had it in her to push the matter into her face repeatedly like this. It was obvious who the true mastermind was, though she still didn't know how to properly deal with him. Kai could be a surprisingly difficult opponent.

She grunted at the phone and swept the box away.

Years of discipline, from tutorship and from within, had steeled her for days like this, where the schedule was filled to the brim and dark clouds pressed down from above. She swept her long-coat over her shoulders as swift strides brought her to the coach gate. Elsa gave the doorman a nod and was about to signal for a cab when a portly shape stepped in from just out of view, umbrella in hand.

"Good morning, Miss Aren."

"Good morning," she answered flatly. "To what do I owe the pleasure, for you to come all the way here?"

Kai tilted his umbrella slightly, as if to give him a better view. He stood impeccably dressed in a dark coat, three-piece suit and scarf beneath. How much earlier must he have risen? She wondered if he slept at all. Gesturing with a gloved hand at a nearby vehicle, he said "I've come to give you a ride."

"Surely that's not the only reason," Elsa said. She raised an eyebrow at the black monstrosity. "A bit inconspicuous, don't you think?"

Kai shot it and then Elsa a glance. "Perhaps a little," he said, holding out the umbrella for her to join him. "But your welfare is important. It's much safer, and more comfortable than a taxi, I'd wager."

Elsa let out a small sigh and accepted the offer. It was like walking into a lion's den, or a trap, or both.

"But as you said," Kai went on, "We're not here just to carpool. I wanted to catch you before the meeting today. To discuss some matters, you understand."

She waited for him to open the door. Normally, Elsa didn't care for such gestures, though Kai was the exception. Sliding into the back seat, she said, "It must be important then. Just what are we deal– Gerda."

The older woman gave her a warm smile. "Good morning, Miss Aren."

"Quite important," Kai said as he filed in after her and took his place next to the assistant. He rapped his knuckles against the panel separating their compartment from the driver's. Moments later, the engine roared to life and the O'Neal Building shrunk away behind them.

Elsa furrowed her brow in concern. Gerda had her tablet neatly in her lap, but face down. She couldn't see any other documents or folios between them. Instead, she found a double cardboard cup-holder with a single cup of tea on the seat next to her. "Kai. What's going on?" she asked.

"Last night, there was an update from the insurance company," said Kai. "Or should I say, there was an update containing nothing new regarding your sister. No claims for compensation or additional fees."

She should have known. Elsa leaned back into the seat and crossed her arms in front of her. "Your point?" she asked, much harder than intended.

Her manager and assistant shared a look. "Miss Aren," Kai began. "If your… sister is in a state where she cannot make a decision regarding her care, and if there are no proxies or individuals with power of attorney, the responsibility falls on–"

"It's been three days now. You should visit her, Ma'am," Gerda finished, straight to the point.

Elsa didn't reply and turned away. To the pair sitting across from her, she must seem utterly heartless.

* * *

_Giant, multi-layered panels of tech-laced glass comprised three of the walls that defined the hospital room, one of them protecting its inhabitants against the autumn night, another housing the doorway. Within the silicate lattices, twin films of liquid crystals formed patterns to dim the light reaching from the corridor, and to hide what was transpiring within. The process was fast and elegant, as FrostByte tech should be, making only the faintest sound as the final facets were formed. It was a synthetic sound emulating the crackling of ice, added at the behest of the testing groups. 'To prevent discomfort and give closure', the product report had read._

_The room however, was not devoid of light. Set into the wall above the bed, nested between connector ports and emergency supply lockers were screens displaying the state of the patient below. The glyphs shone with an eerie glow. One set among the myriad spelled the same words that had made Elsa's alter ego stop dead in her tracks._

A. Aren.

_She had first caught the name written in glowing in teal letters across the corridor as she exited the room belonging to the truck driver. His testament of the events she came to investigate were swiftly swept away._

'Aren' is a rare, but not unique surname. It could be someone else_, came the thought._

_ But the cold reasoning that had provided her with that weak shield was double-edged and traitorous. She knew, between Kai's report and the probabilities behind that specific combination of letters, that the person in the room was her sister. Against all reason and judgment, Elsa had entered._

_Now she stood by the door, frozen in place and staring at the bed. Despite the suit and the mask, the marks of her heroism, Elsa struggled in mustering the courage to move closer. In the oppressive silence, broken and simultaneously reinforced by the recurring beeps of medical machinery, she didn't even dare to breathe._

_Elsa knew this scene, though the details were different. Last time, there was less glass, especially in the walls. A painting of some soothing landscape, another bed in the room. She was smaller too, but her hair had since long become platinum. Anna, smaller still, lay as she did now, unconscious and connected to gods know what. Night had reigned along with ice-tainted rain, in the midst of summer._

_She'd been alone in the room, her parents busy speaking with a doctor of some sort outside. Their voices muffled, but worried and grim. They had asked her to wait outside, but then too, Elsa had acted against reason and snuck in._

_When her body finally reminded her of its limits, Elsa's breath returned shallow. She swallowed, and forced her legs to move. With each step, her soles were as thunderclaps against the floor. How they managed to echo in the cluttered room was beyond her. By the time she reached the bed, the pressure around her had grown significantly._

_Anna slept peacefully, her head tilted to the side. Ruffled, bronze locks framed soft and freckled features. The sheets stopped at her waist, leaving the rest to a patterned hospital gown, tied at the side. Each slow breath hinted at her slight physique beneath._

_Then, as Elsa noticed the tiny scrapes that marred Anna's face, bathed in the electric light, the grip around her tightened again._

_"What happened to you?" she mouthed._

_Ten years, no – more than that, since they last met. That their reunion would be in this manner, Elsa could never have imagined. Just as she never considered how her sister would have grown. In her mind, Anna had until now much remained the little pigtailed girl she once played with._

_Her hand hovered above her sister's, hesitating. Even at a distance, Elsa could feel the heat spilling off the younger girl. It was a soothing warmth, full of life and in stark contrast to the Anna of the past. She had been cold as ice then, wrapped up in layer upon layer of bedding and blankets. The doctors had been perplexed, unable to provide help or counsel. When their parents decided to seek help abroad, Elsa stayed in Arendelle. Anna never returned._

_Elsa pulled her hand back, holding it clenched against her body. She let out a long breath and looked away, attempting to dispel the vice grip of emotion. It had been her decision, and she still stood by it. The rules, her rules, were clear. Her sister was better off the further away she was from Elsa. It was for Anna's own safety, though the reasons were different now._

_Lights from the streets below flashed across the room, bouncing off the walls and ceiling to highlight a jacket draped over a chair. A paper cup stood on the floor next to it. A small, black surveillance dome blinked red up in a corner._

_The prospect and danger of discovery provided the kick she needed to remember who she was. Within moments, the Snow Queen had slipped through a window panel on the outer wall, riding on a wave of ice to another rooftop. She landed with a skipping step and glanced over her shoulder at the distant gap in the side of the building marking Anna's room._

_For a minute, she kept her gaze, before tracing a familiar pattern and waited for the comm unit to work its magic. She couldn't be there for her, but there were things she could do. When she heard the affirming beep, the Snow Queen pressed against the side of her throat and spoke curtly. "It's me."_

_The reply reverberated through the suit hugging high by the base of her skull, distorted but clear enough. "Hey, Snow. What's the matter?"_

_"I have a favor to ask. Where are you?"_

_"I'm on my way to my shift."_

_The Snow Queen glanced around. "Which one?"_

_"The normal one. I'm almost at the hospital." A pause, then the voice went on. "Are you in trouble?"_

_"No. It's something else… There's a patient in the Western Ward–" she managed before getting cut off._

_The voice grew stern. "Snow, I can only use my powers on supers. You know how they work."_

_"I do," the Snow Queen said, raising a hand out of habit. "It's not what you think. I need you to drop something off for me. There's a florist at the crossing between Holberg and Welhaven's. It should be on your way…"_

* * *

For a long while, Elsa stared at the scenery as it passed silently outside. She couldn't tell them that she had already met Anna, or rather, stalked her unconscious form as the Snow Queen. The image haunted her. And though Elsa didn't care to admit it, even to herself, she wanted to go back. Instead, she'd buried herself in work, FrostByte or otherwise.

"I've been busy," she said, tonelessly. It wasn't technically a lie.

"More than usual," Kai noted. "Which does bring us to a matter of business. I saw that you closed the S.I.-deal. They've asked for a spot on the benefit gala list for their representative. By the sound of it, they wish to contribute to the trust foundation as well."

Elsa felt her shoulders relax a little. She was back on familiar ground. With a smile, she said, "As expected. They jump at every opportunity to boost their image, not that they need it. I see no reason for us to deny them, or their funds." Gerda gave a nod and flipped her tablet to take note.

"Will you be attending this year?" Kai asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe," she said, avoiding the flat look her assistant no doubt was giving her. Elsa knew she wasn't being fair, the way she kept pushing the RSVP. As one of the founders – the daughter of one of the founders, to be exact – and chairwoman of the foundation, she was expected to show up.

"Moving on," Gerda said, "The board of directors meeting has been moved up to this afternoon."

"Wait, why? When was that decided?"

"Just now," Gerda replied and pressed down on the screen in her lap.

Elsa looked at Kai, who without missing a beat took over. "We're changing the agenda for the day slightly."

The car stopped and Elsa's frown deepened. "I don't see what can be so important that you'd move a board of directors meeting…" Glancing out the window, she saw the hospital main building. "… or why you've brought me _here_," she added firmly.

"Do you remember Mr. Lundgren?" Kai asked. He opened the door and stepped out, producing a large umbrella as an invitation for Elsa to join him. She sighed and clambered out of the car, pulling the cup of tea with her.

"Yes. He's our liaison at the hospital."

"Mr. Lundgren has proven quite… difficult in the recent negotiations regarding the renewal of our supply contracts," Kai said as they approached the entrance. "If possible, we would like to avoid legal action."

Elsa tutted, and said, "So instead you want me to bring him down. A bit heavy-handed, in my opinion."

"How you approach the matter is entirely up to you, ma'am," Kai smiled. "But I'm sure a vis-à-vis meeting between the two of you will help clear things up. The meeting is scheduled for ten-thirty in the Western Ward."

She recalled the clock from the car. "That's two hours from now."

Kai handed her a small, transparent bag filled with wrapped and decorated confectionary balls. "I believe this will come in handy."

Elsa raised a brow at the bag. "A bribe? I don't think he's that fond of chocolate."

"No, but I suspect Anna is." Kai placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, "I don't know all the details, but I can see that this has been bothering you. I'm saying this as a friend: go visit your sister."

Elsa pulled back and looked away, instinctively assuming a stony façade to hide the emerging turmoil within. But she wasn't sure if it was anxiety, anger or something else that came bubbling. "I'll think about it," she said stiffly and entered the building.

* * *

Anna slipped out of the light gown and fit snugly into the top that had been brought in for her, leaving the patterned piece of hospital garb in a heap on the bed. With the soft fabric against her, the feeling of real clothes a welcome change, she tried to stretch away what dullness still lingered from being woken up so early. Having spent the last half-week stuck in the hospital instructed to do nothing but rest had wreaked havoc on her circadian rhythm, her days now starting close to lunchtime. Anna didn't mind though, not really. Sleeping in was one of the best things in the world. Except for when the world came knocking at the break of dawn.

Today, the world had barged in on her at an ungodly hour the form of Kristoff. She'd groaned and whined and begged into her pillow for just a few more minutes that probably would have turned into hours of snoozing until he plonked a backpack on the bed. The clothes were nice, but it was the suit it held that got her as giddy as a kid in a candy store.

Somewhere out there in the wilderness outside of Arendelle, there was a testing range booked just for her and her suit. The place was apparently isolated, so she'd have a chance to – no, she was _supposed to_ let loose. Anna bit her lip and couldn't help but giggle at the matte texture at the bottom of the bag as she shoved down her spare clothes.

She was literally jumping with excitement, trying to shake away her surplus energy. Not that it ever worked.

With everything set, she snatched the bag from its resting place and pulled out her cellphone, fingers starting to dance across the screen to let Kristoff know she was on her way. Anna turned to leave, only to have the person floating silently by the room's threshold nearly give her a heart attack. For a split second, she thought the bubbly nurse with the Dido flip had returned.

Instead she found a young woman in an elegant charcoal coat and suit, completed by a marine scarf, standing by the doorway with a hand poised to knock, but clearly hesitating. Her deep, auburn hair was held neatly in braids that gathered in a bun at the back. She seemed the very image of professionalism, and she was strikingly beautiful. Regal. Intimidating. Though her sharp features looked familiar somehow, and there was a trace of worry in her furrowed brow. As her hand lowered slightly, she spoke with a surprisingly soft voice. "… Hi."

_How long has she been standing there?_

Anna slowly released a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. "Uh– hi?" she said, smiling cautiously. The woman shifted slightly and her hand clenched further, but she didn't reply. Unconsciously, Anna molded the remainder of her momentum into courage and pressed on. "Can I help you with something?"

"No," the woman replied, then paused. "I mean, no – that's not why I'm here." Her raised hand relaxed and moved to her chest, as to calm herself, before ending up folded with the other in front of her. "You look great, Anna."

"Um– Yeah. Thanks. You look great too," Anna said, wondering how the woman knew her name. If they'd met before, she couldn't think of a single reason as to how she could forget someone like her. Anna tucked a nonexistent stray stand of hair back over her ear. "Sorry, do I know you?"

The flash of hurt across the woman's face was too short for either of them to notice. "I suppose you don't," she said. "My name is Elsa."

"Elsa…" Anna repeated without thinking, eyes going wide.

She stared at her sister, the mysterious person she'd wanted to meet for as long as she could remember. Her parents hadn't said anything, nor given any explanation why they'd grown up apart. She'd only found out because one of her classmates pointed it out on a webpage. But all her attempts to dig deeper, to reconnect, had ended in defeat. And out of nowhere, here Elsa stood, bringing back knots she thought she'd solved long ago.

Anna used to think about what to say, what to do when she finally found her sister. There were nights at the boarding school, when enthusiasm peaked, where she'd play the conversations between herself and one of the posters in her room. It had all faded with failure and time. Now, despite all the practice, Anna didn't know what to say.

To her relief, Elsa broke the silence. "So, you're better now? What happened?"

_Relax girl, you got this._ "Oh, uh, nothing special. A truck sort of hit me."

"A truck?"

"Uh-huh. It got me right in the–" she blurted, before realizing the words that were coming out of her mouth, and where they were taking her. Anna cleared her throat. "Eh. I mean, it clipped me."

"And it was kind of my fault," she went on "I should have looked both ways, you know? But I got excited and I kind of forgot to and uh…" Anna paused when she saw her sister's expression. "But I'm better now! I'm fine, really."

Elsa turned to a smile. "I see. I'm happy it wasn't anything serious."

Anna gave a small laugh. She wanted to say more, or at least something more coherent. "Um, Elsa…" she began, but it was all she managed before her phone buzzed treacherously in her hand. Her eyes flicked down to see Kristoff's image lighting the display and suddenly, the pack on her back became infinitely heavier. Even hidden behind crumpled clothes and zippers, impossible to discern, her suit felt like a bomb ready to blow everything apart.

As her mind swam in a torrent of emotion she was in no way prepared for, Anna defaulted to the stupidest thing she could think of and squeezed past Elsa. "Sorry," she said, the words stumbling out. "I– I should… I really have to go but, uh–"

"I understand," Elsa said, her face again unreadable. "How about lunch, someday?"

A lifeline. "I'd love that," Anna replied, pausing, before hasty steps brought her down the corridor.

Behind her Elsa found herself leaning against the wall, her grip tight around the small bag she meant to gift. Unbeknownst to her, a tinge of frost now decorated its handle.

* * *

**A/N:** _Stuff sort of happened, so this got delayed and a bit longer than usual. Sorry about that._

_As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	7. Chapter 7

For the second time that day, Elsa stared into a mirror. This time, it wasn't weariness that marked her features, but open worry. She stood in Anna's room, its walls once again opaque at her command, its door closed to keep the world from seeing beyond her mask. Her hands swept across neatly held hair, tracing lines back to the plaited bun and all the way down to the fuzz at the top of her neck. They searched for strands of white and pale gold.

Elsa craned her neck to get a better view as her worry slowly shifted into anger. Not at Anna, of course – her sister was innocent, despite her key role in this disaster. The anger was twisting inwards, and rightfully so. Countless hours of practice in order to reach her current level of control, time carefully poured into building walls and forging locks. And for what? To let a single meeting, a chance encounter thrust upon her by her retainers, smash them apart like nothing? Her training had been for that express purpose – control, and yet they'd failed to prepare her properly.

_Conceal it, don't feel it, stay in control._

She could see the small gift bag reflected on the bed. Fortunately, the frost that covered it had faded quickly once she'd taken notice and hopefully, no one else had seen her slip. Elsa returned her attention to the task at hand and eventually let out a sigh of relief when she was sure that no strange colors had burnt through the dye. Perhaps her small, inadvertent expenditure of power proved too weak to trigger the tell. The other possibility, that which suggested her powers were spiraling beyond her, was one Elsa did not want to dwell on. There must be control.

The mirror failed to provide a shelf or grip beneath it. A feature that Elsa longed to for to hold and lean against. Instead, she placed a hand on the wall for support, bowed her head and closed her eyes. Long, deep breaths gradually flushed away the anger that had been gathering. _It had no place here_, she thought and silently vowed to redouble her vigil against letting it or its kin take root again. She would be in control.

_And Anna would be safe._

Then there was the issue of meeting Anna again. Elsa, or rather, a part of Elsa wanted to see her sister again. Very much so that it screamed for another meeting as soon as possible. A chance to create the bond they were bereft of, but meant to have. The cries however, fell against her other side, a stoic wall – cold and unyielding. With each breath, it took the desire and folded it expertly one bit at a time into a package, finally silencing and filing it away as another to-do note in a corner of her mind. It would deal with Anna _properly_, and it would remain _in control_.

Thus the moment of weakness was over, and when Elsa's eyes shot open they were once again keen and clear.

Outside in the corridor an analog clock-face, one of the few remnants of old that still held fast against the new, indicated that scarcely ten minutes remained until her meeting. With newfound determination, Elsa strode towards Mr. Lundgren's office, her heels sounding sharp against the linoleum floor.

Passing a familiar door, she caught a glance of the truck driver. According to the patient file, he'd be kept for observation until the end of next week. Having been kicked into speeding asphalt had done a number on him, but through luck or fate that was the extent of his injuries from the accident. Some directed osteogenesis therapy and clone-derived isografts would have him as up and running again. Or driving, as it were.

Although the term 'accident' wasn't correct in this case. The driver had been assaulted by two men. According to his testament, they had been wearing black life-jackets of some sort. _Tactical vests_. Though there had been no mention of weapons. One of them apparently sported friendly mutton-chops, the other a pair of strong sideburns. She, as well as the police, were grateful for the descriptions. But they were far too vague to catapult the investigation forward as hoped.

Elsa clicked her tongue and pressed on.

There were plenty of criminals in Arendelle, among which there were only a handful capable of the stunt that had been pulled. The description she had of her suspects was a pair of burly men with sideburns. Elsa would usually be able to identify the handiwork of such bottom-feeders by heart. She could recall with some distaste two homebred professionals having such distinct sideburns, and she could also clearly remember them still being locked away after their last failed heist.

_Newcomers_.

That would be the best explanation, which in turn lead to the question of why they'd come to Arendelle, a city protected by vigilantes. Was it to prove something? To test themselves? Or were they in the employ of another? She needed more information. She had to dig deeper. But had to wait for now.

The door to Lundgren's office was frosted glass and Elsa wanted to chuckle. It seemed her company's partnership with the hospital had left its mark. She knocked, and from the other side a man called for her to enter.

"Mr. Lundgren," Elsa greeted.

His office had been tidied. Papers were neatly stacked, but there were too many of them. She could see the telltale signs of dust in corners never disturbed. And the desk was too clean. The man gestured towards a chair from across his desk, and said, "Miss Aren, I was surprised when your assistant told me of our meeting this morning."

"I see," she said dryly. It wasn't fair to Mr. Lundgren, but he had caught her at a bad time. Between Kai and Anna, and the strange new additions to Arendelle's criminal circles Elsa simply couldn't be bothered to let this matter drag on. Her face darkened. "I believe we have some things to clear up."

Lundgren grinned and pushed a folio towards her. "Yeah, we do," he said, his confidence shining through like a beacon. It would make things easier, and though it wasn't something Elsa would ever admit openly, it would make things just a bit enjoyable as well. The door slid close.

An hour later, as Elsa took her leave, their expressions had switched with one another.

* * *

Duke Wesel paced slowly across the drawing room. He seemed unsure if he should be doing that or not, but apparently it helped him keep things straight in his mind. In one hand, he twirled a wineglass, its contents untouched. The other held on to a lapel, just to keep it from gesturing. He twisted to get a better view of the armchair on the other side of the room. Duke sneered and said, "I've been expecting you… Snow Queen."

He paused for effect, or a retort. But nothing happened, and he continued. "Don't mistake me for some petty criminal, Snow Queen." The name was said thick with disdain. "And don't think it'll be so easy to bring me down," He taunted, giving a harsh laugh. "All you've achieved bursting in here is ensuring your own demise. And once you're out of the picture, there's no one that can stop me from bleeding FrostByte dry!" Duke raised his glass at the armchair. "Boys – please be so kind and take care of her majesty. Permanently."

Then he turned and strode out through a set of double doors into the outer bathroom.

In the bedroom, William sat hunched over his laptop from which a multitude of cords snaked across the floor into the walls and other devices spread around the chamber in order to reach the far too few outlets available. He tabbed back and forth irritably between windows for a while before turning to his fellow mercenary and bodyguard. "We should talk to Mr. Wesel about his monologue," he said.

Bradley stood by the bed with his arms folded over his chest, inspecting the extensive array of equipment spread across the sheets. He was burlier than William, but just as fast. The man huffed, bent over to pick up another piece of dull metal from a foam-filled case and turned it in his hands. "You want to help him now?" Bradley grunted.

"I want him to stop." William replied. "Especially if it's that Snow Queen we're dealing with."

A short laugh escaped the large man. He placed the piece down beside the others and said, "I'm not going to argue with Mr. Wesel. If he wants to monologue, he can monologue his heart out. We just have to cover his ass while he does it." He turned towards William and went on, brows furrowed. "Are you worried about the vigilante?"

William leaned into the sofa. "A little," he said quietly, placing an arm over the backrest. "She's famous, but there's not as much footage as I thought it'd be. I've found surveillance here and there. Someone's been scrubbing the recordings though, by the looks of it." He waved at the screen. "It's fast work too, if the metadata's to be believed. A street camera caught her surfing to the hospital, but I got nothing useful from the actual building. The entire Western Wing is looped footage."

"Like you're doing right now?" Bradley asked and made a jerking motion with his head at the black dome in the corner of the ceiling. Neither of them felt like glittering up during downtime.

"Exactly. She's either very skilled or very connected."

"And her powers?" he asked, stroking a side of his moustache and following through with the motion all the way back to his significant sideburns.

"Freezing stuff," William said. "She can create blocks of ice and shoot energy blasts that freeze you if they hit. The same goes for her defense, walls of ice, locking things in place and so on. But her ice seems stronger than the normal kind."

"Then that girl's just some Meta playing hero," Bradley scoffed, "She might hold her own against a couple of street thugs, but she'll crack in real combat. I've seen her kind before."

William leaned forward again, his elbows now resting on his legs. He fixed his friend with a look. "You're too quick to judge–" he began, but was interrupted.

"And you should know better," the large man said. He met William's gaze head on. "Do you remember that powered kid back in Barcelona? It's the same thing. We go in hard and fast. This 'Snow Queen' will be history before she knows it."

"Make sure that she is," Duke interjected and leaned into the room. "I don't want anyone throwing spanners in my plans. Do you gentlemen have what you need?"

"Yessir," the pair answered in unison.

"Good… good. How's the search going, Will? What have you found?"

William's eyes flicked back to the screen. "A while longer until the tracer gets a lock on the server, sir," he said. "A few more hours; a day at most and we can start. I've never seen this kind of encryption before, but that program you got seems to be pulling through." He drew his lips to a line. "The 'Blackstone' data's another thing. I can't make sense of it. Not one bit."

Duke smiled slyly. "I'll take care of that. You keep your mind on the Snow Queen and whoever else dare disturb us."

All William could give was a nod, though he retained some reservations. It had been odd for them to attack one of WeselCo's own transports, but he didn't care to dwell on whatever dealings and politics that could have lead to that task. What rubbed him the wrong way was the figure in the background that Duke was dealing with. He didn't like people who sat safe behind the lines, pulled at strings and reaped all the rewards without ever exposing themselves to danger.

Bradley probably felt the same, but he knew the man well enough. It wasn't in him to question his commander, or employer. Not until the very end. In a way, William shared his sentiments. Loyalty was important. But it didn't hurt to be careful either.

* * *

Water crashed into concrete plains in sweeping, deafening waves illuminated by scores of ultra-power spotlights. The skies above, blackened by stormclouds, had been pouring down over the ravaged testing grounds for the better part of an hour. The water swept away what debris and dust it could, but much remained. Earlier that day, the grounds had been two square kilometers of pristine flats likely meant for something gentler than that which had abused it.

Benches lined the end of the field, next to which a small bunker-like structure housed hardware for controlling the contraptions that suffused the area. Jutting from the side of the building, an overlapping series of projected wooden beams shielded a truck against the downpour as best it could. On the bed of the truck, armored pieces lay spread out on a piece of cloth.

Just outside of that protected area stood the young woman responsible for wrecking the testing range. Anna basked in the cold night rain.

Her suit had been peeled down to her waist, exposing the semi-flexible thermal circuits that covered almost every inch if its insides. The sleeves hung loose and channeled water like drainpipes down her sides. Anna cocked her head backwards, letting her rain-slick hair fall free down her back. Rain mingled with sweat and formed rivulets across her skin. Under the harsh, artificial light and the deluge, it was impossible to tell if it was the impacting droplets or something else that made it seem like she was steaming.

Anna blinked away the rain and watched, with a certain amount of pride filling her chest, the scene before her. Far out to her right was a warped and cracked piece of ground, the spot where she'd been told to try the boosters in her upper body. Kristoff had called them something much cooler, but she couldn't really recall the name. To her left were the numerous marks left by her running and jumping tests. The last one had brought her high enough to see Arendelle. Her landing didn't go as well though.

She grimaced as the wind brought more water unto her, and turned when she heard Kristoff against the howl. He had a hand square on his hip, the other occupied by a tablet. "What are you doing out there?" he yelled.

"Uh– standing?" Anna shrugged.

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "It looks like you're trying to catch pneumonia."

"Oh, please. I've never been sick in my life," Anna said brightly as she approached. It wasn't a boast either. She could almost remember being under the weather when she was a kid. But aside from feeling worn out from spending a day having too much fun, as if such a thing were even remotely possible, Anna had no memories of sickness. She leaned to her side, trying to catch a glimpse of the screen in Kristoff's hands and with a bit of her lip, she asked, "So… What's the verdict?"

Kristoff cleared his throat and looked away, holding out the device for her. "I got, ahem– good news and bad news," he said. Anna raised an eyebrow at him before taking his offering and scanning the scrolling lines of unhelpful numbers and bars. They were no less confusing than during lunchtime, when he had tried to explain the data.

"This is like ancient Greek to me," Anna said. She pressed her mouth to a line and looked up at Kristoff, seemingly focused on something in the distance. He rubbed the back of his neck. They hadn't known each other for long, but long enough that Anna knew something was up. "Kristoff?" she asked, poking him in the gut with the tablet.

He almost looked at her, before finding another spot of dirt to stare at. "You're uh…" he said, giving her an up and down gesture.

Anna didn't need for him to finish. Realization had caught up moments before. As the waters dripped away, the sensation of clinging wet fabric pushed its way to the forefront of her mind. She didn't even need the downward glance to confirm her bandeau's woefully inadequate thread count. Anna's flung her arms across her chest, her cheeks red-hot.

Kristoff mumbled something about her bag, the car, and she trotted over to scavenge for a towel or something that could serve as one. The passenger side was a jumble of papers and cords and old cups tangled into stuff Anna didn't even have a name for. Her backpack waited scrunched on the footwell. Armed with a t-shirt, she wiped off what she could.

Anna draped the shirt over a shoulder and peeked above the car. "You were saying?" she asked, breaking the silence.

The car rocked slightly as Kristoff sat down on its bed. Taking a piece of metal in his hands and holding it up front, he spoke. "Right, uh– Good news is that everything looks fine. Better than fine, really. The motivator and armor fibers are holding on well under the strain… They're stronger, but it's still going to take a moment or two to push them to full power. Trucks won't be your weakness anymore… Probably."

She smirked at his back. "What about the Spire? Do you think I can make it in a single jump now?"

"Easy there. But yeah, with a little wind-up." He waved with the suit module. "I'll just tweak these a bit and I can even get you to stop crushing things when you land."

"And the bad?" Anna asked tentatively.

Kristoff ran a hand through his hair and motioned towards the field. "I don't think I'll get my deposit back," he chuckled.

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._


	8. Chapter 8

Pulses of orange from passing street-lights pierced the darkness that held sway inside the truck. Filtered through the rain-stained windshield and dancing across a cluttered dashboard, it gave Anna brief glances of wrinkled paper and grime-covered tools. These objects were but a small sample of what filled the packed compartment, along with the lingering smell of leather and something burnt. At times, the headlights and noise from oncoming traffic blinded her and drowned the dull, pattering ambient of hardened rubber speeding across asphalt.

The suit stuck to her bare skin like saran wrap on glass. Anna squirmed in her seat, half-rolling a shoulder in an attempt to shift it to a more comfortable position. Every motion made her feel exposed and indecent, her mind briefly wandering to the damp garments at the bottom of the bag that lay in her lap. The half-inch of synthetic muscle, armor fiber and circuits that covered her didn't help at all. In fact, the way her suit clung only made it worse.

Kristoff didn't seem to notice though. He drove lazily, automatically, with only one hand on the wheel and leaning deep into his seat while his eyes, slightly dulled, were fixed on the road ahead. Anna stole glances at him, at his thick neck and giant arms; at the massive bulk that made their shared space feel tiny and to her seemed odd for someone so… nerdy? Smart? Engineery? She couldn't say for certain, but she knew it would most likely come out wrong if she did.

Elsa, on the other hand, had proven to be closer to her imagination – what little she'd retained of her past conjurations. There'd been a period where her mind ran rampant, dreaming up curious versions of her estranged sister: sometimes with rebellious, spiked hair; sometimes in a dazzling, flowing dress. The trait all images shared, the one that stuck with her as time went on, was the impression of someone that was bigger, better and more important than anyone else around.

Anna rubbed her gloved fingers and sighed. Naturally, her sister proved all of that. The one at the head of a colossal company; the one that looked like she walked out of a fashion magazine; the one that was without a doubt smarter than ten Annas combined. She was so nice and… proper too when she came to visit. _She's perfect, and you just ran away._ Anna groaned and buried her face in her hands. She must have looked like such a ditz.

"You okay?" she heard Kristoff ask, his voice hoarse.

Anna slumped back into her seat and mumbled through her hands. "What's Elsa like?" she asked, happy to leave her spiraling, self-conscious thoughts.

"Who?" he rasped, still recovering from the prolonged silence.

She looked up at him. "Elsa. My sister?"

He cleared his throat. "Oh. 'Miss Aren', you mean?" Kristoff said and ran a hand through his hair. "I uh– I don't know, actually."

Anna frowned and turned to face him, placing an arm between her and the backrest. "What do you mean 'you don't know'?" she asked. "I thought you worked at FrostByte."

"I do," Kristoff said, shooting her a quick look, "but she's the boss and I'm just… a grunt. I don't get to meet people like her." He shrugged. "Besides, she's probably too busy flying in a private jet or something to talk to us employees. I don't think I've even met anyone that has met her. Aside from Kai."

It was Anna's turn to ask. "Who?"

"Kai. He's like her… second in command or something. I'm not sure what his title is, but he's everywhere and knows everything. He's a good man – real nice fellow."

Something tingled, buried in her memories. A familiar feeling flashed, but like so many things from her past, the name was surrounded by an impenetrable haze. Her thoughts wandered again and Anna sat back in her seat. "Elsa seemed nice too," she noted, voice small. Kristoff just looked at her, saying nothing but the question was clear in his eyes. "She came to visit me," Anna went on, "this morning before I left the hospital. She wanted to have lunch."

Kristoff squinted at a streetlight and pulled the car onto the tunnel towards the heart of Arendelle. "That–" he began.

"I ran away," Anna said flatly.

"… Could have gone better." Silence fell momentarily over the two and Kristoff scratched the back of his neck. "Look, I'm sure you'll meet again and have a great time," he said. Anna couldn't muster a reply, and the strained silence returned. Outside, the tunnel ended and Arendelle's core greeted them with an explosion of light and sound. Dark clouds covered the skies above the city with no indication of clearing. Though they held their contents for the moment, glistening streets hinted at what had happened prior and of what would come again.

The transition into the urban environment made the phone mounted to the windscreen spring to life. Kristoff sat up straight and reached for the screen. "Okay. Uh… where do you want me to take you?" he asked.

"I have a room at the Saga Villa," Anna said. "It's across from the old castle park."

"You heard her, buddy. Show us the way." Catching her curious glance, Kristoff paused and grimaced, then said, "That's… Sven, a friend."

"You're friends with your phone?" Anna asked, smiling.

"It's complicated. I'll explain it later. So… It's a hotel?"

Anna played with her backpack. "Yeah. I wasn't actually going stay here for long at first." She held up an arm between them, showing off the suit and letting the red grooves glow for a moment. After the day's practice, control came easier than before. It felt more natural. "But then one thing led to another…" she laughed and returned to fidgeting with the pack. "I should find somewhere to stay, huh?"

"Let me know if you need help," Kristoff said. There was a pause and he cleared his throat before continuing, this time with some hesitation. "So, about your sister… Just uh… Just do me a favor and don't talk about the suit when you do your lunch thing."

Anna wasn't planning on using her superheroics, or rather – her future superheroics, as an icebreaker. She'd seen enough movies and read enough comics to know how spilling the beans to the people closest to you was a bad move. But the question had slipped before she could stop it. "Why?"

Kristoff's mouth became a line and his brows scrunched together. "Your suit… I couldn't just patch it together after the accident and… Ahem– I kind of built it using company resources: expensive, top-of-the-line military-grade resources. Without telling anyone."

"You what?" Anna squeaked, her voice a few octaves higher than intended. She twisted around and stared with wide eyes at Kristoff, who blatantly avoided meeting her gaze. The suit slid against her as she moved, making its presence clear. A mixture of guilt and excitement rose in her gut, the former not taking up as much space as it should be, she thought.

"A- Anyway," he went on, now faster, "It'd be really great if she didn't find out until I can… figure out how to fix this. I've heard rumors that she…"

The words that followed flew past unnoticed as she reflected. The guilt part really should have weighed heavier on her shoulders. She was after all sitting in a suit made out of stolen goods, taken from her long lost sister that she hadn't even met properly yet, practically conspiring about how to lie about it for when they did meet. But she was doing it for good reasons. Probably.

They pulled up to a crossing, stopping at the front of the line by the red light. "… and they just kept going and now everyone calls them 'the Nazguls'." he said.

An expression of unease clearly marked Kristoff's face as he finished his tale. His attention remained locked on the crossing ahead. It made her wonder briefly what rumors of her sister that she'd missed. Anna tilted her head, pushing away the curious thought and fixed Kristoff with a look. "I won't tell her," she said in a soothing tone, "And it's not like we're criminals."

"Actually–"

She ignored him. "It's more like we're… borrowing indefinitely." Anna bounced in her seat. "Honestly Kristoff, she hasn't even met me yet. In costume I mean."

"And if she does?" he asked critically and turned to face her.

"I'll still be wearing the mask," she said with a smug expression. Anna took a handful of hair, holding it up behind her, posing. "I'll have my hair like this, or maybe this way? Oooh! I can even dye it red to match the suit, Kristoff!"

"She's going to catch on," he noted.

"I can dye it back!"

"Every time? That doesn't sound practical."

The counter struck with precision, blowing away precious momentum from Anna. Kristoff was right, dying her hair all the time wouldn't really by feasible. The chemicals would ruin her locks in the long run and it would take up time and money Anna wasn't sure she had in the first place – especially if she had to do it twice every day. Keeping her white streak out was enough for now, she reasoned.

Momentarily, Anna slumped, then a new thought took root, making her perk back up. "What about glasses?"

Kristoff sighed. "What about them?"

Anna flashed a brilliant smile. "I'll wear glasses as a disguise, like Superman," she said, adjusting an imaginary pair. They would be thick-rimmed, of course. "I mean, I already have most of his powers. So it fits!"

Kristoff groaned, trying to sound irritated or perhaps troubled. "She's definitely going to catch on," he said – but by the end of the comment, his chest moved in soundless laughter and the humor rang clear in his voice. Anna reached over and gave his arm a squeeze.

"Look, there's no way Elsa's going to be mad at me– no, at us, for being superheroes!"

"I wouldn't really call you a _super_hero," he said teasingly, "All you've done is punch a guy."

"He was a _bad_ guy," she stressed. "So okay, maybe I'm not super 'super' yet. But all I need is another chance to prove my–"

A high-pitched noise cut her short – from a jeep blasting past dangerously close. Moments later, sirens blared and flashes of emergency lights washed over them as police cruisers blurred down the street after it. Kristoff reeled away instinctively, only to get a full view of Anna's wide, excited grin. "Like that!" she exclaimed, slapping him across the shoulder and pointing after the cars in one quick motion.

Kristoff's gaze darted back and forth between the rapidly disappearing chase and Anna. In the seconds that followed, the look of apparent confusion he wore became one of objection before melting into surrender under the intensity of the fire that burned in Anna's eyes.

She motioned eagerly. "C'mon! They're getting away!"

He groaned, yanked at the shift stick and stamped down on the pedal hard enough to dent the footwell. The engine roared in response and the pair was thrown back into their seats as the truck charged down the street. Anna was quick to recover. She pushed the bag off her and clawed at her seatbelt so she could reach down for the armor stashed at her feet. With her training fresh in her mind, the motions come easy, her fingers swiping across sensors and sockets with newfound familiarity. Pieces snapped into place to the hum and clicks of the suit returning to life. To finish, Anna brought the mask to her face.

"If I go closer, someone might identify us," Kristoff said. He grit his teeth in concentration as he weaved the truck between unsuspecting motorists, trying to keep up with the chase ahead.

"I'll jump from the roof," Anna replied firmly. It sounded kind of crazy, hearing the words spoken out loud. But it paled against her growing desire to show and see what she could do.

Kristoff threw a quick glance her way. Then, next to her, the window opened up to turbulent winds and a torrent of doppler sounds. Kristoff released the dashboard button. "Be careful," he said, strong and clear enough to overpower the noise, yet with a soft trace of concern.

Anna smiled, clambered up on her seat and hooked an arm out over the top. "Don't worry, I got this! Just keep the car steady," she called while pulling herself out through the opening.

The wind struck her like a wall, its push making her clamp down hard on the car chassis. Immediately, the suit responded and Anna could feel her fingers sink into the metal. She grimaced at the thought of having to explain the hand-shaped deformation later, but pressed on. Even when hunched low and gripping the side, there was little stability to be found atop the roof of the truck between Krisoff's sharp dodging and the drag. Ahead, the pursuit was taking them down one of the city's main streets and from the look of things, she had to jump now or end up trapped, dead in the street. Signature red flowed across her and with a resounding crack; Anna became a streak of color shooting towards her target.

A poor, parked Honda became her first, brief stepping-stone. Its roofing caved as she took her next jump, bringing her to a speeding car just passed by the escaping criminal. With focus full on her target, none of Anna's consideration had gone towards the notion that people were actually driving the vehicles she was traversing, or that someone suddenly smashing into the top of one would be startling. The car's wild turn to the side caught her by surprise and threw her down flat on the roof.

Anna grunted and dug her fingers into the car for support. She could see the jeep just a few meters ahead, but quickly gaining on her again. In her mind, she could glimpse the arc that would finish the pursuit. She seized the moment and leapt high into the air, flying past the police then finally down towards her goal just as it reached an intersection.

The impact shattered the backside windshield and buckled the metal frame around it, making them veer into the wrong lane. Anna dislodged her shoulder and took a stance with one hand still wrapped around a piece of framing for support as the driver desperately tried to stay alive against the onslaught of traffic. Anna screamed at the man.

"Stop right there, crim– Woah!" A sharp jerk to her left forced her low to maintain balance. Disgruntled and shock-full of adrenaline, she dug her feet into the trunk. With a cry, Anna pulled at the chassis and bent it aside. "I said: _stop the car_!"

The man snapped back to look at her, his eyes bloodshot and wide with fear. A horn sounded up front. The car careened and smashed into a divider block, sending Anna flying forward into a lamppost and then down into the street.

Things were quieter, comparatively, when Anna came to. Dazed and groaning, she pushed herself up. She looked around. Traffic had stopped around them and the two police cruisers were parked sideways on the street. Above, a pair of small flying discs were shining spotlights on her and the wrecked jeep, inside which a giant grey bag was slowly deflating. The driver lay slumped over it, moaning. From behind the wreckage, officers in midnight-blue uniforms appeared. Their guns were fixed on her. "Keep your hands where I can see them!" one of them shouted. "You're under arrest!"

Anna froze on the spot. This wasn't at all what she imagined would happen. They were supposed to be happy, not tense, and come running with congratulations, not weapons drawn. Working against the pounding in her chest, she slowly held her hands up. If she decided to run, the police probably couldn't do anything to keep up except maybe shoot her. Anna bit her lip. She struggled to recall if the suit was bulletproof or not. Her memory did not serve.

_Oh boy, what am I going to do?_

A clear voice, accompanied by the sound of boots across congealing ice, rang out from above. "Stand down officers. I'll deal with this one."

* * *

Safe above the streets, a fair distance between the rooftop and the crash site, Anna stood silent. The Snow Queen turned and held her arms folded under her chest. "I was wondering when you'd show up again," she said. Her expression was difficult to read behind the pale, teal mask.

The surge of adrenaline had all but washed away. Her last meeting with the woman before her had been short, where Anna had been in control and shrouded in mystery. It had shielded her against the unease of dealing with a real superhero. This time, her belly was in knots for more than one reason. She let out a breath. "Hey, uh… thanks for saving me back there from those–"

"From that mess?"

"Sorry," Anna said. "I didn't mean to–"

The Snow Queen cut in, her voice cold. "Cause hundreds of thousands in property damage?"

Anna's shoulders fell. Did she have to pay for that from her own pocket? Her mind wandered to the Spire's ventilation towers and the countless roof-tiles she'd probably reduced to dust.

"It's obvious that you're new to this," the Snow Queen went on, this time in a softer tone. "So a word of advice: Look before you leap. Think, if you have the time for it. When people like us," she gestured at Anna, "and especially people with powers like you fight, innocents can and will get hurt. Sometimes in ways you don't expect. If you're going to be a superhero, you have to be more than someone that just punches the villains in the face. But if you can be that, then I don't mind having another hero in the city."

Whilst in the hospital, during one of Anna's lazy chats with a nurse, she'd learned a bit about the heroes of the city. According to her, the Queen was the most respected and most reclusive one. Most others were little more than mask-wearing pretenders.

As for the one in front and center, there was no doubt she was the real deal. Simply standing, she radiated a strange, muted kind of authority and confidence. And though Anna wasn't exactly prone to buttering her bread _that way_, she couldn't help but note of how the Queen's ice-encased suit accented her figure – amazingly so.

Anna blinked, her mind finally catching up. She'd expected to get chewed out by the end of that little speech. But instead, strangely, an implied invitation had been placed in her lap. And by the Snow Queen no less! A stray thought of superheroic partnership teased from a corner. Anna swatted it away and released a breath. "Yes… I can," she answered.

The Queen smiled. "Good," she said and tilted her head. "So, what do I call you?"

"I… uh– don't have… I mean, I haven't decided yet."

A bleep caught the veteran hero's attention just as she opened her mouth to answer. She held up a finger, signaling for Anna to wait and began to fiddle with lights on her sleeve. A few moments later, she looked up with darkened eyes. "It's one thing after another in this city," she said, taking long steps towards the edge of the building. Her movements were small, but graceful. "I have to deal with this. But I'll come by here again later."

"Oh… Ah– okay?" Anna said, frowning behind her mask. The Queen gave a small wave and surfed away, leaving Anna staring on the rooftop. "That went… well. I think," she muttered, following the speck of teal and reflected orange down the street with her eyes.

Another bleep sounded, this time close to her ear. "Anna? Are you okay?" she heard Kristoff ask across the communicator bud.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay… um–" Kristoff paused, the concern coming across clear through the channel. "If you're up to it, I got something for you."

Anna straightened and gazed across the city. She could see the pillar of smoke rising into the clouded sky, a mark of her last heroic venture. It could have gone better, but also a lot worse. And it had led to her meeting the biggest hero in town as well as her approval – in a sense at least. The latter brought a grin to her face. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I set some extra alarms at the college. They got triggered a few minutes ago. I think someone's breaking in."

The King's College lay downtown, a fair distance away, but not far. Not when she could traverse the city as the crow flies. With the new suit, she'd be there in the blink of an eye. Taking a step up to the ledge, Anna scanned for a good path. "I'll go," she said. "What can I expect?"

"I don't know," Kristoff answered. "The cameras are dead and the recordings just show a brief flash before going down."

Anna leapt for another building. "Do you know what they're after?"

"I have a guess," Kristoff said grimly.

* * *

Debris and dust littered a trail across the hard plastic floor tiling. The adhesive film in front of the door had failed miserably at its task. Though blame lay chiefly on the two men that had entered the room. Any other person would have taken the time to don the shoe-covers that lay in a bin on the other side of the entrance instead of barging in with steel-tipped combat boots.

For a while, they worked in silence.

Bradley pulled a small display from the holster on his leg. "We got incoming. Thirty seconds," he said. "Marker three got triggered." He turned to William with a scowl. "You said you cut all alarms and surveillance."

His companion kneeled over a small, reinforced laptop. A tangle of wires went from it to one of the countless server stacks that filled the room. "I did. But someone must have set a hidden layer somewhere." The bar on the screen was filling slowly. "How many?" William asked.

"Just one."

"A vigilante, then," William noted. He pulled a tube from his pack and went up to one of the walls. On the other side lay a corridor, beyond which was one of the college campus parks. Pulling the tube across the surface left a line of grey goo.

For the larger man, that was enough of an answer. He slung his rifle to his side and pulled out a small green piece of curved plastic. With a grunt, he stabbed it into the flooring next to the doorway. Its safety text – _front towards enemy_ – facing the open entrance. A moment later, two red sensors on the top blinked affirmatively.

Bradley retreated to safety behind a server tower, weapon at the ready and fixed on the door. "Masks down," he rumbled and pulled at his own.

"Another minute here," William called as he moved the laptop into cover and took his position by it. "Watch your fire. Right side is rigged for exit."

"Copy that."

Steps echoed through the hallway outside.

"Light 'em up."

* * *

**A/N:** _As always, comments and critiques are appreciated and encouraged._

**Edit:** _Fixed some minor errors. Big thanks to those that took the time to point them out._


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